In spring 2022, the Habele Outer Island Education Fund in the Federated States of Micronesia was one of 10 projects chosen to receive a highly-competitive Community Collections Grant from the American Folklife Center (AFC) through the Library’s Of the People: Widening the Path initiative. Funded by the Mellon Foundation, the grant program serves to support … Continue reading Peer-to-Peer Documentation of Micronesian Weaving
Charter School in Chuuk Aims to Revive Loom Weaving
An innovative Charter school is reintroducing old cultural skills to local students on Weno, capital of the most populous state in the Federated States of Micronesia. A distinctive form of backstrap loom weaving was once ubiquitous across the Caroline Islands, today’s Federated States of Micronesia. Now the intricate work of crafting these textiles endures only … Continue reading Charter School in Chuuk Aims to Revive Loom Weaving
Preservation of Traditional Pacific Loom Weaving
"Loom is a solution for saving traditional Pacific island weaving from extinction" McClure, Joyce, Pacific Island Times, February 1, 2022, pages 31-32 When the young women of Yap’s remote outer islands leave home to seek a college education, better work opportunities or medical care on the U.S. mainland, the risk of leaving their cultural traditions … Continue reading Preservation of Traditional Pacific Loom Weaving
Micronesian Looms: Weaving Connections in the US (5)
This is the fifth in a series of posts dealing with Weaving Connections, a project of Habele to sustain and preserve Micronesian backstrap weaving traditions among Island populations who’ve migrated to the United States mainland. More here. Creation of Website Content The WeavingConnections.org domain was purchased and a draft website laid out. The site was … Continue reading Micronesian Looms: Weaving Connections in the US (5)
Micronesian Looms: Weaving Connections in the US (1)
This is the first in a series of posts dealing with Weaving Connections, a project of Habele to sustain and preserve Micronesian backstrap weaving traditions among Island populations who’ve migrated to the United States mainland. More here Framing the Problem Though loom weaving of skirts is central to daily life in the Caroline Islands, few … Continue reading Micronesian Looms: Weaving Connections in the US (1)